The Grates - Teeth Lost, Hearts Won (2008)

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Teeth Lost, Hearts Won!

That is certainly the right way around. Losing heart is never fun, and extra teeth end up getting removed anyway...

With that precursor, coupled with the now established good name The Grates, you would expect a Knock-Your-Socks-Off sort of album. And, thankfully, they have delivered.

That said, "Teeth Lost, Hearts Won" needs good set of speakers and an appropriate setting to really be appreciated. When you have seen a band like this live, the expectation is that they will try and capture some of that vibe - and for some reason - unless this sucker is played loud, the vibe is totally lost.

The album opens with Burn Bridges, and if you close your eyes (and find some sweaty dancing air to breath in) then you could pretty safely convince yourself that Patience, John and Alana are performing the funky number right in front of you.

The rest of the album doesn't quite capture the total radiance of a live show, but paints an adequate picture of a talented and deliciously unique trio.

But back to Burn Bridges, this is a great song as well as the first single off the album. Beginning with an eccentric riff that features throughout the song, you will be hooked from the beginning and courted into commitment through repeatedly declaring:

'Spent time making trouble, doing the right thing, Spent time making trouble, what is the sum of everything…'

Two Kinds of Right begins slightly gentle, with beams with hints of a love song. It is as if she can't help herself as Alana builds a crescendo on drums towards the chorus. She gives a bit of a fiery spike to the edgy lines:

'Some things are better when broken, did I tell you, that you are my best friend, I wana show you what you have already been shown'

Sometimes you hear a song and whether you can relate or not, you still wonder about the story behind it. Case in point: Milk Eyes. This has all the words and taste of a lullaby to suggest it was written about an unexpected pregnancy. Whether it is or not, Milk Eyes is a wonderful tribute to the women who have become mothers through unexpected pregnancy and can melodically sing along with Patience to:

'You come running to me, for some strange reason makes me feel so complete. Bleeding from your knees, I couldn’t care more'

The Grates are touring with this album at the moment, and while "Teeth Lost, Hearts Won" works well - you can go past the duo of CD and their live show, it's without doubt the ultimate Grates experience.

RATING: 3 out of 5

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